O-San Ramen, Chinatown

Another Ramen contender opened up in Chinatown area. I've been eyeing a lot of picture posted about this shop since I was still in Jakarta last month and their Black Garlic Ramen has been the superstar. So I went to try this place out with my foodie troops Mr.P, Mr.Wjt, Mr.M and Mr.Us :)

Mr.Us got this Pork rice ball to start with, it was quite huge for a snack and got generous amount of diced pork inside. The rice itself has quite a bit of taste so it's not totally bland.

Pork Rice Ball

Mr.Wjt ordered the Sumo Ramen which got both Pork and Chicken soup and also comes with 2 pcs of Pork Kakuni. The bowl is humongous! Mr.Wjt do has a huge appetite ;p Apparently to his disappointment, the sumo ramen was full of beansprout instead of the noodle. But the pork was delish according to him, I did try a bit of the lean part but he said the fat was the source of flavour hehe..

Sumo Ramen $12.80

Mr.M ordered the Shallot Tonkotsu Ramen - Pork based soup ramen which does live up to its name, heaps of shallot in the bowl (my worst enemy in foodie world). I can't comment much on this, sorry ;p

Shallot Tonkotsu Ramen $11.80

Mr.Us and I did the research and ordered the famous Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen - with a rich garlicky pork broth. The depth of the flavour was profound and I did add extra mushrooms and seaweed sheets to my bowl and add a lottt of chilli powder that the broth became thicker. yuum! I do recommend the Black Garlic Ramen over the rest! Forgot to mention the tender pork in that bowl, delishhh ~~

Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen $10.80

Mr.P ordered a bowl of ramen but it seems that it doesn't fill his tummy yet so he decided to ordered the Pork Belly Rice Bowl.. I'm not a fan of gooey fatty stuff so I can't comment much on this as well but Mr.P said the pork was really juicy and flavoursome. I bet bebski would love this bowl!

Pork Belly Rice Bowl $6

So the verdict for this ramen shop -- taste is good but not great for me. I still prefer Gumshara and Zundo :)

Kafeine, Balmain

The only time I visited Balmain area is when Adriano Zumbo has no other branches yet. I never knew there is this hidden gem in the hood. Mr.Wjt brought me to Kafeine, not only because he knew most of the people working there but also he guaranteed me that the foods they serve are superb :)

So we went on a bright Saturday arvo for brunch. The place was packed with people coming and going for their Campos Coffee and also with the patrons dining in.. Luckily, we got the perfect spot to see the busy barista making up orders and also we got a great lighting spot for pictures...

These little babies caught my attention once I entered the place! I knew that I must definitely get the Lychee Rose Gf Cake!

I did my homework beforehand as to what's their popular thing to try. From the many pictures of smoothies, the Iced Almond Chai won me over.. I love chai and I've never try it cold, so I ordered it and I looovee it The spice was not overpowering the drink, it was just soo goodd!

Mr.Wjt ordered Ice Mocha as usual. I highly recommend it for those who loves their mocha! It has the perfect ratio of coffee and chocolate in my opinion and just the right sweetness to my liking :)

So for the food, I leave it to my friend to choose it for us. The first to come is Salmon Paradiso - Grilled Norwegian crispy skin salmon, 65^o Za'atar egg, Pickled ginger, Asparagus, Sultanas, Pecans and Brown rice salad. All components works really well together and must I say that I love the Salmon even though I'm not a salmon fan usually, really can't get enough of the crispy skin!

Salmon Paradiso $19.90

The second dish to come is the Corn Fritter which comes with Quinoa avocado salsa,  bacon slab & Tomato relish. This is another Gluten Free option in their menu board. So the verdict for this dish is.... one of the best corn fritter I've has so far in Sydney! The salsa adds a refreshing touch to the meal and the bacon slab, so scumptious! It was thick and smokey and it adds that saltiness bit that is needed by the dish ~~

Corn Fritter $16.90

Compliment from the Barista.. Acai Smoothie which was soo dayuummm good! It was refreshing not too sweet. Got a nice banana note in it which I think is a great combo with Acai. Definitely must try if you ever visit Kafeine!

We ate too much already but can't help it but to order their tantalising Pancake with Strawberries, Coconut Mousse, spiced Fig and mix fruit compote. One word. Yum! Everything u can ask for from a dessert!

Pancake with the Lot $13.90

We also did ordered the Lychee and Rose Cake but I didn't get to take a pic cause they put a candle on the cake for Mr.W birthday that day.. But it was a lovely cake with a good hint of both lychee and rose :)

Great service and yummy foods. You just have to experience it yourself :)